Building for use in sound recording



Feb. 23, 1932.

c. A. VOL?, JR 1,846,534

BUILDING FOR USE IN SOUND RECORDING Filed March 27, 1929 3 sheets-sheet 1 2z /7 w22 i Z g Z, @Vf Q /20 /5 /3 20 i l f4 s //W /////////////////W l/ ATTORNEY Feb. 23, 1932. C, A, VOLF, JR 1,846,534

BUILDING'FOR USE IN SOUND RECORDING Filed March 27, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 221D 'Q7 Z2 gli] 2/ j /3/ /4 /6/ /3 v //////////////////////////Z//44////////44////////// l ATTORNEY Feb. 23, 1932. c. A. voLF, JR 1,846,534

BUILDING FOR USE IN 4SOUND RECORDING -Filed March 27, 1929 s sheets-sheet 5 l I l l H al 4, uw"

Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFICE f CHRISTIAN A. VOLF, JR., OF WEEHAWKEN, NEW JERSEY, .ASSIGNOR TO JOHN GOURLIE,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUILDING FOR USE IN SOUND RECORDING Application tiled March 27, 1929. Serial No. 350,356.

My invention relates to sound proof buildings, and more particularly to a building to be used in connection with the recording of sound motion pictures.

In the art of recording sound motion pictures, at present,`the studio Walls are heavily padded in order to prevent penetration of external sounds. If the interior Wall is also padded in order to absorb sound before their reflection sets up distortion and echoes, the resonance is impeded to such an extent that it prevents accurate registration of the sounds desired unless the sound producing and sound recording instruments are in close proximity.

If the interior Walls are not padded, the conflict of reflected sound Waves sets up echoes and distortion, which cause a blur and imperfection in the recording of the desired sounds. Hence it is necessary for the artist speaking to stand close to the microphone. In order to take a picture of the artist Without including the microphone in the focus of the picture, it is therefore necessary to take a picture at short range. Wit-h this invention, the artist can stand at greater' distances from the microphone.

A building with padded Walls involves considerable first cost and considerable maintenance expense, and has a limited range of usefulness, due to absorption of sound Waves by the walls.

A sound Wave striking upon the exterior Wall of a building partially rebounds and is partially transmitted through the Wall. Coming in contact with the jointure of the Wall at the roof or foundation. the sound travels through the jointure and penetrates the interior of the building. Sounds liber- 40 ated Within a room travel to the Walls, ceiling and ioor, from which they are partially reflected, causing an echo, and upon which they partially travel upon the surface of the floor, Walls or ceiling to the jointure of said Hoor, Walls and ceiling with one another respectively.

Where two structural members, such as Wall and roof or wall and ceiling, for example, vibrate more or less in response to sound vibrations, and Where such members join one another, there is liable to be distortion and interference unless such members are insulated from one another. Such insulation is provided by this invention.

In order, therefore, to build a studio for the recording of sound in which the recording instrument may be some distance from the speakers or instruments producing the sounds, and in which there will be ample resonance Without distortion and Without the penetration of exterior sounds, it is necessary to build the exterior Walls so that sound from the outside will be directed out to the air or into the ground, and sounds set up in the inside Will be resonated upon unpadded Walls, the vibrations of any one of which may not come in contact with the vibrations of another.

An object of my invention is to provide a structure which will prevent outside noises from penetrating to the interior of the building.

Another object of my invention is to provide a sound proof building in which the sounds Within the building intended for the microphones Will be distributed to the microphones without echo or overtones and Without distortion.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a structure in which any vibrations set up in the floor of the building will be damped so that they will not reach the microphones.

With these and other objects in view, Which may be incident to my improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to be. set forth and claimed. 1While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to such details, but may be carried out in other Ways.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings, means for carrying the same into practical e'ect, Without limiting the improvements in their useful applications to the particular construction which, for the purpose of explanation has been made the subject of illustration.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 represents a vertical sectional view of the building;

Fig. 2 represents a sectional view along line 2-2 of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is anelevational view of the buildmg S Fig. t is a perspective view of the interior of the building and Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View of a microphone.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, T have shown my improved sound proof structure comprising side walls 1 and end vwalls 2. The wall 2 is preferably integral with an outwardly curved portion 3 and a vertical portion Il, both of which support the roof 6, portion e also supporting the roof 5.

The purpose of curving the walls outwardly near their upper extremities is to deflect sound waves emanating from a point outside of the building into the surrounding air.

rThe curved portionsl 3 of the walls together with the vertical portions l andthe roof 6 form an air chamber 7 which extends completely around the building. Y

The various joints between the ceiling member 5 and the vertical portions i of the walls are insulated or otherwise separated by means ofa sound deadening material 8. This material maybe of felt or other suitable material.

VThe joints between the roof and the vertical and curved portions of the walls are likewise insulated' by means of sound deadening material.-

It will be noted that the curved portions of the walls and the roof form a thin edge at 9 and the curved portions of the walls do not connect with the ceiling 5. The thin, relatively sharp edge 9 splits the sound waves, and deflects them up over the roof, and down towards the ground. This arrangement together with the formation of the air chamber .enables the outside noises to be discharged into the atmosphere. K

Between the floor 14 and the walls 1 and 2 is a channel 12 filled with a suitable liquid 13, such as water. This channel is formed by the lower part of the walls 1 and'2, by a hori- Zontal bottom 10 and a side portion 11. The

floor 14 does not touch the walls 1 or 2.V lNhile portions 10 and 11 may be integral with the walls 1 and 2. this is not essential; in using the term wall or walls, the outside vertical walls 1 and 2 are intended.

Mounted on floats 15 are hollow supporting standards 16 yfor the microphones. The

. microphones are supported entirely by means of the iioats 15 and are therefore not in contact with the floor or the walls of the building. l .p

With this construction Vto support the microphones sounds liberated within the building may be resonated freely upon the the surface of the water and thence upwardly into the hollow supporting standard 16, Fig.

KV5, for the microphones, and so to the microphones.

With the building described, padding of the walls can be eliminated.

Sound waves hitting the exterior ofthe buildingV are in part reflected awa-y, while such waves as reach the water in the channel 12 travel around therein and are not tra-nsmitted to the microphones and so are in eect absorbed and dissipated in the water. The microphone will pick up vibrations from the air, but not from the water. Once the vibrations get into the water, they stay there.

in one of the side walls 1, l have provided a door 17, and in order to have convenient egress and ingress to the floor or platform 14, I have provided a bridging member 1,8, which is hinged alongV its edge 19 near the base of the door, tothe wall 1. The bridge member is maintained in the open position, by `means of suitable cords 20 attached to it and to weight members 21; the. cords pass through suitable pulleys 22, secured to the wall 1.

This arrangement ofa bridging device to bridge the4 channel isV necessary, because of the importance of separating the ioor 14 from contact with the outside vertical parts of the wall. v

Referring to Fig. 2, the lbridge member is sho-wn in the closed position, the outside door of the building being closed. f

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the curved portions of the walls and the roof member form a thin edge 9 at their jointure. This arrangement of he joints betweenY the walls andthe roof member aidsiin deflecting the sound waves to the atmosphere. Y Tn Fig. 4C, the interior of the studio is shown. The bridge member 18 is in the closed position and the microphone is shown on its supporting float on the surface of the water.

Referring `to Fig. Y 5, l have shown a detailed view of the sound receiving instrument. Thebase 23 of the instrument, which is a sound collect-ing member, is attached to a float 15 by bolts 24 or other fastening means. it will he noted that the base is spaced from the oat, thereby leaving an opening between the `surface of the liquid 13 and the base of the instrument in this manner is to provide a passage for the sound waves which are deflected from the surface of the liquid. The vert-ical portion 16 of the instrument is hollow and at the top thereof the microphone or recording device 25 is supported. The enlarged portion 26 supports al cone shaped member 27 to which the recording device is attached. Suitable resilient members 28 are attac-hed to the recording device and maintain it in a suspended position within the member 27.

Sound waves deflected from the surface of the liquid are collected between the member 23 and the surface of the liquid; the waves then pass up through the hollow vertical portion 16 to the recording device.

My improved building is comparatively easy to construct and it is not so expensive as the present structures wherein the walls are padded. The building may be' constructed of wood, composition board, fibre', concrete or other suitable material.

W'hile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not intend to confine myself to the precise details of construction, since the invention may be practiced in other ways;

I claim as my invention:

l. A building for use with sound recording instruments comprising in combination a floor insulated from the walls of the building, the walls being outwardly flared near the upper part of the building for deilecting the sound waves away therefrom.

2. A building of the character described comprising side and end walls, the walls being outwardly flared near the top to form, with the roof, an air chamber surrounding said walls, av roof and a floor, said ioor being noncontiguous with the walls of the building.

3. A building for use with sound recording instruments comprising in combination a floor insulated on all edges from the walls of the building by means of a canal located between the outer edges of the floor and the walls of the building.

4. A building of the character described comprising side and end walls, a. roof and a ioor spaced from the walls of the building by means of a channel, said channel extending all the way around the floor, and containing a liquid.

5. A building for use with sound recording instruments comprising in combination a floor insulated from the walls of the building by means of awater-filled canal located between the outer edges of the floor and the walls of the building.

y6. A building of the character described comprising side and end walls, a roof and a floor spaced from the walls of the building by means of a trough surrounding the floor, the space between the floor and the walls of the building being filled with water.

7. In combination with a building having side walls and a ioor, a canal filled with liquid extending around the outer edges of the floor, between the floor and the walls, and a microphone supported on a standard which is floated on the liquid in the canal.

8. A building for use with sound recording instruments comprising in combination a floor insulated from' the walls of the building by means of a canal located between the outer edges of the fioor and the walls of the building, and a pivoted bridge for bridging over the canal.

9. A building for use in sound recording work having walls which are curved outwardly in a concave direction toward the ground away from the vertical for deflecting sound waves.

l0. A building of the character described comprising side and end walls, a roof and a floor, the walls of the building having near the top outwardly curved portions, said portions gradually flaring outwardly so as to be concave toward the ground, and forming a sharp edge with the roof, which edge splits oncoming sound waves and detlects them over the roof, and toward the ground.

l1. A building of the character described comprising side and end walls, the walls having outwardly curved portions and vertical portions near their upper extremities, a roof and a Hoor, the outwardly curved portions being concave toward the .ground and forming, with the roof, a sound splitting edge which deflects oncoming sound waves over the roof, and toward the ground, the roof being in contact with the vertical and curved portions of the walls whereby an air chamber is-formed between the roof member and the walls.

12. A building of the character described comprising side and end walls, the walls having outer outwardly curved portions and inner vertical portions near their upper extremities, a root` and a floor, the roof being in contact with the vertical and curved portions of the walls, sound deadening material between the joints of the roof and the wall portions, whereby a dead air chamber is formed between the roof members and the walls.

13. A sound proof building of the character described comprising a floor, side and end walls having outer outwardly curved portions and inner vertical portions, a roof structure in contact with the curved and vertical portions of the walls, sound deadening material between the joints formed by the roof and the wall portions and a ceiling member supported by the vertical portions of the walls, said ceiling member having a sound deadening material between its contact surfaces with the walls.

14. A sound proof building of the character described comprising side and end walls, the walls having near their upper extremities, inner vertical portions, and outer portionswhich curve outwardly and are concave toward the ground, a roof structure in contact with the vertical and ,curved portions Y .of the walls, the outwardly curved wall portions forming, with the roof, `a relatively sharp, sound splitting edge which delects sound waves over the roof, andvtoward the ground, whereby an air chamber is formed between the roof and the walls, and a iioor for the building completely surrounded by a liquid illedfcanal, thereby making said floor non-contiguous with the walls.

l5. A sound proof building of the characterdescribed comprising side and end walls having, outer outwardly curved portions and inner vertical' portions near their upper eX- tremities, aroof anda floor, the` roof being 'in contactwith the vertical and curved'portions of the walls, wherebyvan' air chamber iszformed between the roof member and the walls, the Hoor of the building being space from the walls by means of a channel.

16) In ycombination with a building for use in soundV recording, liquid holdingmeanafa microphone and supporting means therefor, floated on the body of liquid.

17. In combination with a building for luse in sound recording, liquid holding means,

a Standard floated on the liquid, and a microphone carried by the standard, the standard being hollow for carrying sound waves upwardly to the microphone.

18; In combination with a building for usein sound recording, liquid holding means, Y

a 'standard floated on the liquid, a microphone carried by .the standard, the standard being hollow for carrying sound waves upwardly tothe microphone, the standard terminating at its lower end in a sound collecting member spacedrabovethe surface ofthe v liquid and adapted to deliver the collected sound waves into the hollow standard.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. f CHRISTIAN A. VOLF, JR.

6oVA 

